Device and method for handling an object of interest using a directional adhesive structure

Abstract

A device and method for handing an object of interest uses one or more directional adhesive structures to adhere to the object using van der Waals forces. Each of the directional adhesive structures includes hair-like features with angled contact surfaces. The directional adhesive structures are configured such that the angled contact surfaces of the hair-like features adhere to a surface of the object using van der Waals forces when at least one force is applied to each of the base plates in a direction substantially parallel with respect to the surface of the object.

1 . A device for handling an object of interest, said device comprising: 
 a plurality of base plates;    a drive mechanism connected to said base plates to apply forces to said base plates; and    a plurality of directional adhesive structures attached to said base plates, each of said directional adhesive structures including a base structure and hair-like features attached to said base structure, said hair-like features having angled contact surfaces such that said angled contact surfaces adhere to a surface of said object using van der Waals forces when at least one force is applied to each of said base plates in a particular direction substantially parallel with respect to an outer surface of said base structure of that base plate.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein some of said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structures have a diameter greater than 50 microns.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein said diameter of some of said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structures is between 100 microns and 500 microns.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein some of said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structures are angled with respect a normal line of said base structure toward an opposite direction of said particular direction.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the angle between some of said hair-like features and said normal line is between 5 and 45 degrees.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the angle between said contact surfaces of some of said hair-like features and said normal line is between 10 and 90 degrees.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the length of some of said hair-like features is between 100 microns and 1000 microns.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said hair-like features are arranged in an array with symmetrically staggered rows.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said drive mechanism is configured to apply at least one force to one of said base plates toward another one of said base plates so that said angled contact surfaces of said directional adhesive structures adhere to said object.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said drive mechanism is configured to apply at least one force to one of said base plates away from another one of said base plates so that said angled contact surfaces of said directional adhesive structures adhere to said object.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said drive mechanism is configured to apply at least one angular force to one of said base plates so that said angled contact surfaces of said directional adhesive structures adhere to said object.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said drive mechanism includes a plurality of arms connected to said base plates and a motor operatively connected to said arms to apply said forces to said base plates through said arms.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said device is integrated into an equipment selected from a group consisting of One Drop Filling (ODF) equipment, Flip-chip packaging equipment, Chip-scale packaging equipment, Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) fabrication equipment, semiconductor fabrication equipment, liquid crystal display (LCD) panel fabrication equipment and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel fabrication equipment.  
   
   
       14 . A method for handling an object of interest, said method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of base plates with directional adhesive structures, said directional adhesive structures including hair-like features with angled contact surfaces;    placing said base plates near said object such that some of said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structures are in contact with a surface of said object; and    applying at least one force to each of said base plates in a particular direction substantially parallel with respect to said surface of said object such that said angled contact surfaces of said hair-like features adhere to said surface of said object using van der Waals forces.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising removing said at least one force applied to each of said base plates to release said object from said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structures.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein some of said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structure have a diameter greater than 50 microns.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said diameter of some of said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structure is between 100 microns and 500 microns.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the length of some of said hair-like features is between 100 microns and 1000 microns.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein some of said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structure are angled with respect a normal line of a base structure of said directional adhesive structures toward an opposite direction of said particular direction.  
   
   
       20 . A directional adhesive structure comprising: 
 a base structure; and    a plurality of hair-like features attached to said base structure, each of said hair-like features having a contact surface for adhesion using van der Waals forces, said hair-like features having a diameter greater than 50 microns.    
   
   
       21 . The structure of  claim 20  wherein said diameter of some of said hair-like features is between 100 microns and 500 microns.  
   
   
       22 . The structure of  claim 20  wherein some of said hair-like features are angled with respect a normal line of said base structure.  
   
   
       23 . The structure of  claim 20  wherein the length of some of said hair-like features is between 100 microns and 1000 microns.  
   
   
       24 . The structure of  claim 20  wherein said hair-like features are arranged in an array with symmetrically staggered rows.  
   
   
       25 . A method of fabricating a directional adhesive structure, said method comprising: 
 providing a first mold, a second mold and a third mold, said first mold including a space that corresponds to a base structure of said directional adhesive structure, said second mold including holes that correspond to hair-like features of said directional adhesive structure, said second mold further including V-shaped grooves, said third mold including V-shaped protrusions;    attaching said second mold to said first mold;    injecting liquid polymer into one or more of said holes of said second mold to fill said holes of said second mold and said space of said first mold with said liquid polymer;    placing said third mold on said second mold such that said V-shaped protrusions are fitted into said V-shaped grooves of said second mold; and    separating said first mold from said second mold to extract a solidified polymer structure in the form of said directional adhesive structure from said first, second and third molds.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein some of said holes of said second mold have a diameter greater than 50 microns.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said diameter of some of said holes of said second mold is between 100 microns and 500 microns.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the length of some of said holes of said second mold is between 100 microns and 1000 microns.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25  wherein some of said holes of said second mold are angled to form said hair-like features of said directional adhesive structure that are angled with respect to a normal line of said base structure.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 25  wherein said holes of said second mold are arranged in an array with symmetrically staggered rows.